Dispenser of soft drinks of high or low carbonation



Nov. 2, 1965 A. G. GUZZI 3,215,312

DISPENSER OF SOFT DRINKS OF HIGH 0R LOW GARBONATION Filed June 12, 1963 United States Patent "ice 3,215,312 DISPENSER OF SOFT DRINKS OF HIGH OR LOW CARBONATION Albert G. Guzzi, Oak Park, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Universal Match Corporation, Ferguson, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 12, 1963, Ser. No. 287,246 3 Claims. '(Cl. 222-129.1)

This invention relates to beverage vendors, and more particularly to a multi-selection vendor for vending a variety of soft drinks.

The invention is especially concerned with a soft drink vendor of the so-called post mix type in which sirup and water are separately dispensed and mixed in a cup dispensed from a cup dispenser, and which is adapted for vending a wide selection of drinks including so-called high carbonated drinks, so-called low carbonated drinks, and noncarbonated drinks. In this regard, it will be understood that certain carbonated drinks, such as cola drinks, are best when high carbonated water is mixed with the sirup. Other carbonated drinks, such as fruit-flavored drinks (e.g., orange or grape drinks) are best when low carbonated water is mixed with the sirup. Fruit-flavored drinks may also be noncarbonated drinks (plain or noncarbonated water being mixed with the sirup). By high carbonated water is generally meant water carbonated with from 3.5 to 4 times its volume of carbon dioxide gas. By low carbonated water is generally meant water carbonated with from 2 to 2.5 times its volume of carbon dioxide gas.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a beverage vendor of the class described having an improved simplified system for dispensing high carbonated water, low carbonated water and noncarbonated water, as required according to the customers selection; the provision of a vendor such as described having a source of high carbonated water and means for delivering high carbonated water from said source without relatively high loss of carbon dioxide for vending a high carbonated drink, and for delivering high carbonated water from said source and effecting loss of carbon dioxide from the high carbonated water as it is delivered to such an extent as to supply low carbonated water for vending a low carbonated drink, without mixing of the high carbonated water with plain water; the provision of a vendor such as described in which the source of carbonated water comprises a carbonator supplied with plain water from a source of plain water, with an arrangement for dispensing plain water from the plain water source for vending a noncarbonated drink; and the provision of a vendor such as described which is economical to manufacture and reliable in operation. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

The single figure is a schematic view of a vendor constructed in accordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is indicated at 1 a tank which is filled with water to a level such as indicated at L. This is referred to as a sweet water bath. A carbonator C, which may be of any conventional type, is located in the sweet water bath, submerged in the water. The carbonator is charged with carbon dioxide gas from a cylinder (not shown) of compressed carbon dioxide gas via a line 3. A plain water supply line 5 has a portion 5a Patented Nov. 2, 1965 coiled around the carbonator within the sweet water bath, and is connected to the inlet of a three-way valve 7. Line 5 is supplied with plain water from a source of tap water, and has a pump 8 connected therein for pumping water therethrough. Valve 7 is a solenoid valve, having two outlets 9 and 11. A line 13 connects outlet 9 to the carbonator C, and a line 15 connects outlet 11 to a dispensing nozzle 17. Valve 7 is adapted selectively to effect flow of plain water from plain water supply line 5 through line 13 to the carbonator C, outlet 11 then being blocked, or to effect flow of plain water from line 5 through line 15 to the nozzle 17, outlet 9 then being blocked. Plain water supplied via line 13 to the carbonator is carbonated therein to provide high carbonated water, and exits from the carbonator via high carbonated water delivery line 19.

Means is provided for cooling the water in tank 1. As shown, this comprises a cooling coil 21 arranged vertically in the tank, refrigerant from a refrigeration unit (not shown) being supplied to the coil via a line 23 and returned to the refrigeration unit via a return line 25. In the normal operation of the vendor, ice forms around the coil 21 in the form of a tubular block such as indicated at B. This ice serves as a standby to maintain the water in tank 1 cold when refrigerant is cut off from coil 21 and diverted as to an ice maker (not shown) such as may be provided in the vendor for supplying ice to be mixed with the drinks. An agitator (not shown) may be provided extending downward on the vertical axis of the coil 21, and in the bore of the tubular block of ice B, for agitating the water in tank 1.

Three sirup tanks, each designated 27, are shown. Each of these contains a different sirup so that the vendor is adapted to vend drinks of three different flavors. Sirup is adapted to be pumped from each sirup tank in measured amount for the mixing of a single drink by a sirup pump 29 and through a sirup delivery line 31. Each sirup line has an intermediate loop 31a which extends down into the tank 1, looped around the cooling coil, and which becomes frozen in the block of ice B. Each sirup line extends to the proximity of the nozzle 17, where it has a downwardly directed angled discharge end 31!) for delivering the metered amount of sirup into a cup 33 which, as is conventional in cup soft drink vendors, is dispensed from a cup dispenser (not shown) into position for receiving sirup from one of the sirup lines and Water from nozzle 17. It will be observed that the sirup, in passing through a loop 31a frozen in the ice, is cooled. Nozzle 17 simply comprises a vertically arranged tubular body closed at its upper end and open at its lower end. The sirup lines are grouped around the nozzle, the angled discharge ends of the sirup lines slanting inward at the lower end of the nozzle.

The high carbonated water delivery line 19 has two branches 35 and 37 which are connected to a high carbonated water delivery valve 39 and a low carbonated water delivery valve 441, respectively. Each of these valves is simply an on-off normally closed solenoid valve. A high carbonated water delivery line 43 extends from valve 39 to the nozzle 17 and a low carbonated water delivery line 45 extends from valve 41 to the nozzle. Line 43 is of relatively small internal diameter (0.082 inch, for example), and line 45 is of relatively large internal diameter (three-sixteenths inch, for example).

In the operation of the vendor, on vending either a high carbonated drink or a low carbonated drink, valve 7 is set to supply plain water from line 5 through line 13 to the carbonator C, the latter thus acting to supply high carbonated water to line 19. Outlet 11 of valve 7 is blocked. For vending a high carbonated drink, valve 39 is opened (valve 41 being closed). High carbonated water thereupon enters line 43 and flows therethrough to the nozzle '17. Since line '43 is of relatively small internal diameter, the flow the-rethro-ugh is choked and occurs at a relatively slow rate, avoiding relatively high loss of carbon dioxide from the Water so that the water delivered through nozzle 17 into the cup 33 is still highly carbonated for mixture with sirup delivered into cup 33 to provide a high carbonated drink. In this regard, carbonator C may function, for example, to generate carbonated water having a 9 to 1 carbonation ratio (i.e., 9 times its volume of carbon dioxide gas), and loss of carbon dioxide is held down so that the carbonated water delivered into the cup has, for example, a carbonation ratio in the range from 3.5 to 1 to 4.0 to 1.

For vending a low carbonated drink, valve 41 is opened (valve 39 being closed). High carbonated Water thereupon enters line 45, and as it flows therethrough, relatively high loss of carbonation occurs so that the water, as delivered by nozzle 17 into the cup, is low carbonated water. Loss of carbonation (i.e., loss of carbon dioxide gas) occurs because line 45 is of relatively large internal diameter and the Water flows theret'hrough at a relatively fast rate. For example, while the Water supplied by carbonator C may have a carbonation ratio of 9 to 1, Water delivered into the cup via line 45 may have a carbonation ratio in the range from 2 to 1 to 2.5 to 1.

For vending a noncarbonated drink, valve 7 is set for delivery of plainwater directly from line through line 15 .to the nozzle 17 and thence to the cup 33, outlet 9 of valve 7 being blocked.

'It will be understood that valves 7, 39 and 4 1 and sirup pumps 29 operate in a manner well known in the art to dispense the requisite amounts of water and si rup for a drink on each cycle of operation.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the inmention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limit- 1ng sense.

What is claimed is:

-1. In a post mix soft drink vendor, means for selectively supplying high carbonated Water or low carbonated water for mixture with one or another flavoring ingredient for vending a high carbonated drink or a low carbonated drink, said means comprising a source of high carbonated water, a relatively restricted line connected to said source for delivering high carbonated water from said source Without relatively high loss of carbon dioxide for vending a high carbonated drink, and a relatively less restricted line for delivering high carbonated Water from said source and efi'ecting relatively high loss of carbon dioxide from the high carbonated water as it is delivered so as to sup ply low carbonated water for vending a low carbonated drink.

2. In a post mix soft drink vendor as set forth in claim v1, each of said lines having a valve for controlling flow therethrough, each valve being normally closed and adapted to open without opening the other.

3. In a post rniX soft drink vendor, means for selec tively supplying high carbonated water, low carbonated water or noncarbonated water for mixture with one of a number of flavoring ingredients for vending a high carbonated drink or a low carbonated drink or a noncarbonated drink, said means comprising a nozzle for delivering high carbonated water, low carbonated Water or noncarbonated water into a cup, a carbonator having an inlet for plain water and an outlet for carbonated water, said carbonator being adapted to generate high carbonated Water, a valve having an inlet and first and second outlets and adapted selectively to conne'ct the inlet to the first outlet While blocking the second outlet and to connect the inlet to the second outlet while blocking the first outlet, a plain Water supply line connected to the inlet of said valve, a line interconnecting the first outlet of the valve and the inlet of the carbonator, a line interconnecting the second outlet of the valve and the nozzle, a high carbonated water valve having an inlet connected to the outlet of the carbonator and an outlet connected by a relatively restricted line to the nozzle, and a low carbonated Water valve having an inlet connected to the outlet of the carbonator and an outlet connected by a relatively less restricted line to the nozzle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,750,076 6/56 Welty et al. 222-129.1 2,894,677 7/59 Shikles et a1. -2'2 212 9.l X 2,986,306 5/ 61 Co'canour 2'22129.-1

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner 

1. IN A POST MIX SOFT DRINK VENDOR, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SUPPLYING HIGH CARBONATED WATER OR LOW CARBONATED WATER FOR MIXTURE WITH ONE OR ANOTHER FLAVORING INGREDIENT FOR VENDING A HIGH CARBONATED DRINK OR A LOW CARBONATED DRINK, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SOURCE OF HIGH CARBONATED WATER, A RELATIVELY RESTRICTED LINE CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE FOR DELIVERING HIGH CARBONATED WATER FROM SAID SOURCE WITHOUT RELATIVELY HIGH LOSS OF CARBON DIOXIDE FOR VENDING A HIGH CARBONATED DRINK, AND A RELATIVELY LESS RESTRICTED LINE FOR DELIVERING HIGH CARBONATED WATER FROM SAID SOURCE AND EFFECTING RELATIVELY HIGH LOSS OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM 